The present invention relates generally to umbrellas, and more particularly, is directed to an emergency umbrella in which the handle also functions as a carrying case.
Because of unpredictability in the weather, it would be desirable to always have an umbrella ready at hand in case of an emergency. However, the size and bulkiness of conventional umbrellas does not make this feasible. Although there are presently on the market conventional umbrellas sold, for example, under the trademark "Totes" which are compact and fit within a briefcase, such umbrellas are rather complex in construction, use costly raw materials and are therefore expensive and relatively heavy.
Disposable umbrellas of the type in which the handle also functions as a carrying case are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,624,275; 4,842,003; and 4,966,179, all having at least one common inventor herewith, and the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
With the disposable umbrella of U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,275, the canopy and struts must be physically removed through one end of the tubular handle and then attached at the opposite end thereof. This may be rather inconvenient and troublesome.
With U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,624,275 and 4,842,003, the struts are stored in the handle in an inverted configuration. Accordingly, it is difficult to provide a pre-bowed canopy for use therewith.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,700,390 discloses a disposable umbrella in which the handle is detachable from the main portion of the umbrella and serves as a carrying case therefor. With this umbrella, the struts or ribs are normally pivoted in a direction opposite that from a normally closing umbrella, that is, in a direction inverted from a conventional umbrella. In order to prevent the struts from inverting during normal use, it is necessary with such an umbrella to utilize cords or similar type elements to tie down the struts. Further, when the umbrella is contained within the handle, the struts and canopy are inverted first and then inserted into the handle, with the hub being used as a cap on top of the open end of the handle. In operation, the entire canopy, struts and cap must first be removed from the handle, then inverted so that the cap is used as a plug on top of the handle. The canopy and struts must then be pushed down to their operable position, with the struts then being tied down by cords.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,186,421 discloses a compact umbrella in which an insert block is slidably movable within a handle between a first stored position and a second open position, with the struts pivotally connected to the insert block. When the insert block is moved to the open position, the struts are opened by gravity and position themselves within respective receiving slots in the handle. It is the receiving slots that maintain the struts in their open position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,600 discloses an umbrella in which the struts or ribs are pivotally secured to a hub which slides within the handle. In this patent, the struts or ribs are pivotally attached to the hub for movement to a completely inverted position when it is carried within the handle. However, a relatively complicated arrangement of a biased locking plate which biases the inner ends of the struts to maintain them in their open position is provided. U.S. Pat. No. 2,439,752 also discloses an umbrella in which the struts and canopy are insertable within a handle. The struts and canopy are locked in place at the upper end of the handle by a coupling or fastening pin which passes through openings an opposite sides of the upper part of the tubular handle. However, to close the umbrella, the ribs are not pivotable downwardly into the handle, but only laterally in the plane of the umbrella in its open position and then removed from the handle and inserted therein for storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,023 discloses an umbrella which is storable within its carrying handle. However, there is no disclosure as to how the umbrella is opened and from the disclosure in the patent, it appears that such an umbrella has a relatively complicated linkage assembly similar to that of compact umbrellas sold under the trademark "Totes".
U.S. Pat. No. 892,813 discloses a folding umbrella in which the struts fit within the handle during storage, and the handle functions to hold the umbrella when the umbrella is in its open configuration. However, the shaft to which the struts are mounted functions as an extension of the umbrella in its opened configuration, and accordingly, the struts are provided with a pivot point midway therealong for storing the struts in the handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,747,592 discloses a collapsible umbrella which is also relatively complicated in construction and use.
French Pat. No. 1,429,394 discloses an umbrella having a ball which is slidable within a handle between the upper and lower positions. A canopy is secured by angled cords to the ball and is normally held with the ball in the handle. In use, when the ball is pulled out by an auxiliary cord, the canopy is forced out of the handle and is held in its open position by the angled cords secured to the central ball. In effect, the French patent is similar to the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 2,700,390 which requires cords to tie down the struts or canopy to prevent the umbrella from inverting. Although U.S. Pat. No. 2,994,333 discloses a peripheral cord, this cord is used for securing the canopy, and separate tie down cords are required for imparting a bow shape to the umbrella.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,238 discloses an umbrella in which the hub which contains the umbrella struts connected thereto is slidable within the handle. During folding of the umbrella, the hub slides inwardly into the handle, and the struts and canopy fold upwardly and follow the hub into the handle. An inwardly extending annular shoulder is provided for preventing escape of the hub from the handle. Radially extending flexible stays or struts support the canopy material in the extended open position. However, to maintain the canopy in its open position, extending cord members are connected between the struts and the hub and are, therefore, similar to the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 2,700,390 and French Pat. No. 1,429,394.
U.S. Pat. No. 284,495 discloses an umbrella having a canopy provided with a cord enclosed in the canopy seams, and a strut or rib structure incorporating a slit tubular recess into which the cord is fit to lock the canopy in place. Such recessed strut is inherently of uniform cross section, determined by the size and shape of the, cord.
U.S. Pat. No. 369,374 discloses a cane umbrella. As described therein, struts are tapered so that the peripheral end will have considerably more flexibility and the struts or ribs can be of solid cross-section or hollow on the underside. The struts or ribs are hingedly connected to a central hub which is locked down on top of the handle by a screw-threaded center piece. However, to store the umbrella, the center piece must be unscrewed and the hub removed, whereupon the struts are pivoted to a closed position and then inserted through the handle, followed by closure of the center piece on top of the handle. This renders the construction relatively complicated in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,844,301 discloses a collapsible umbrella in which the struts are fixedly held to a hub which is slidable within the handle of the umbrella. With this construction, guide tracks must be employed in the handle to deploy the struts in an arcuate configuration as they exit the handle. Because of the guide tracks that must be employed within the handle, the upper end of the handle is made with an outwardly flared configuration. Without the guide tracks in the handle, there would be no initial bending of the struts as they exit the handle. In addition, this patent discloses struts of a uniform cross section. In this regard, because of such uniform cross section, the struts must have a uniform bending throughout the length thereof. More importantly, it is necessary to..use struts of a uniform cross-section in view of the use of guide tracks in the handle. If the struts were of varying cross section, the guide tracks would be inoperative or at least would function improperly.